Can I apply to Chips JU?

By country

• Can a company from an EU country apply?Yes
• Can a company from Poland (a Widening country) apply?Yes
• Can a company from the UK apply?Yes
• Can a company from Switzerland apply?Yes
• Can a company from Norway apply?Yes
• Can a company from Israel apply?Yes
• Can a company from Ukraine apply?Yes
• Can a company from Türkiye apply?Yes
• Can a company from Canada apply?Yes
• Can a company from Japan apply?Yes
• Can a company from South Korea apply?Yes
• Can a company from the United States apply?NoOrganisations in the United States can't apply: it is open to the EU or countries associated with Horizon Europe.
• Can a company from India apply?NoOrganisations in India can't apply: it is open to the EU or countries associated with Horizon Europe.

By organisation

• Can a founder without a company yet apply?Yes, ifRegister a company first: the applicant must be an incorporated SME.
• Can a startup apply?Yes
• Can an established SME apply?Yes
• Can a mid-cap company apply?Yes
• Can a large company apply?Yes
• Can a university apply?Yes
• Can a research organisation apply?Yes
• Can a company apply on its own, without partners?NoYou need a consortium of at least 3 organisations from 3 different countries.

By stage

• Can I apply with an idea or early research?NoToo early: this starts at TRL 3 (a proof of concept).
• Can I apply with a proof of concept?Yes
• Can I apply with a prototype?Yes
• Can I apply with a pilot with real users?Yes
• Can I apply with a product on the market?NoToo far along: this funds work up to TRL 8.

The rules in full

Where you must be based

the EU or countries associated with Horizon Europe

EU-level eligibility follows Horizon Europe. The national share of the money only flows in countries that are Chips JU Participating States and fund that call.

Who can apply

a startup, an SME, a mid-cap, a large company, a university, a research organisation, a public body or a non-profit

Companies of any size, research organisations, universities and public bodies. Each country's funding agency sets extra rules, for example a required share of company partners.

Who can join as a partner

a startup, an SME, a mid-cap, a large company, a university, a research organisation, a public body or a non-profit

Some calls also accept partners from OECD or Mercosur countries (EUACC data, not re-verified for 2026).

Alone or with partners

Consortium of at least 3 organisations from 3 countries

At least 3 independent organisations in 3 different EU or associated countries, at least 1 in an EU Member State. Typical projects have 10 to 50 partners.

Stage

TRL 3 to 8

Research and Innovation Actions centre on TRL 3 to 4; Innovation Actions centre on TRL 5 to 8.

What you get

grants

No fixed amount per project. 2026 topic budgets ran from EUR 2M (support action) to EUR 50M (global research call), shared across several large consortia, plus national co-funding on top.

Funding rate

Split funding: the EU pays a minority share (in 2024-2025 calls about 20% to 35% of costs, depending on organisation type and action) and your national funding agency adds its own share under national rules. Expect to fund roughly 40% to 50% of your costs yourself.